Prions Flashcards
What is a prion
A prion is a protein (string of amino acids in specific 3-D shapes.
what is the prion called
PrP^c
are PrP living or non-living
non-living, no DNA or RNA
Where is PrP found
cell membranes
What are the 3 functions of PrP
- cell to cell communication 2. cell to cell adhesion 3. long term memory
What is the name of the infectious Prion
PrP^sc
how does PrP^sc cause disease
PrP can be folded wrong, and this wrong folding on the protein causes disease. It has a different structure and is resistant to enzymes in the body that normally break “wrong” proteins. They go around and recruit other normal PrP proteins to cause disease
Explain the term “prions recruit rather than reproduce”
The prion acts a template to guide the misfolding of more proteins into prion form. There newly formed prions can then go on to convert more proteins themselves; this triggers a chain reaction that produces large amounts of the prion. This altered structure is extremely stable and accumulates in infected tissue, causing tissue damage and cell death.
What is the incubation period of PrP disease in humans
7-40 years
how do mammals get PrP
primary method is through ingestion
explain the 3 step process on how prion disease spreads from cow to humans
- person eats contaminated food. 2. prions spread to the brain through the body’s lymph nodes and immune system where they can lie formant for years 3. disease attacks nervous system. outer layer of brain develops tiny holes
where are prions mostly found in meat
primarily found in brain or spinal cord tissue from infected animal
What is the prion disease called in humans, fatality rate?
CJD Disease. it is 100% fatal
What is vCJD
variant CJD.
differences between CJD and vCJD: cause
CJD: health care related (infected instruments), random mutation, cannibalism. vCJD: linked between cattle and humans
